THE SALMON FAMILY. 51 
seine in the ocean, and the latter is known to enter 
the Strait of Fuca at the spawning season, therefore 
coming in from the open sea. The great majority 
of the quinnat salmon, and nearly all the blue-back 
salmon enter the rivers in the spring. The run of 
both begins generally at the last of March; it lasts, 
with various modifications and interruptions, until 
the actual spawning season in November; the time 
of running and the proportionate amount in each 
of the subordinate runs varying with each different 
river. In general, the runs are slack in the sum- 
mer and increase with the first high water of 
autumn. By the last of August only straggling 
blue-backs can be found in the lower course of 
any stream; but both in the Columbia and in the 
Sacramento the quinnat runs in considerable num- 
bers at least till October. In the Sacramento the 
run is greatest in the fall, and more run in the 
summer than in spring. In the Sacramento and 
the smaller rivers southward, there is a winter 
run, beginning in December. The spring salmon 
ascends only those rivers which are fed by the 
melting snows from the mountains, and which have 
sufficient volume to send their waters well out to 
sea. Those salmon which run in the spring are 
chiefly adults (supposed to be at least three years 
old). Their milt and spawn are no more devel- 
oped than at the same time in others of the same 
species which are not to enter the rivers until fall. 
It would appear that the contact with cold fresh 
water, when in the ocean, in some way causes 
them to run towards it, and to run before there 
is any special influence to that end exerted by the 
